1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic steering device for vehicles for automatically parking the vehicle without relying upon the steering operation of the driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic steering devices for vehicles are known already in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 3-74256 and 4-55168. These automatic steering devices for vehicles utilize an actuator of a widely known electric power steering system, and are designed to automatically effect reverse parking or longitudinal parking by controlling the actuator based on a relationship between the distance of movement of the vehicle and the steering angle, that has been previously stored.
According to the conventional device in which the actuator is controlled based upon a relationship between the distance of movement of the vehicle and the steering angle that has been stored in advance, the vehicle is likely to go out of the predetermined locus of movement during the automatic steering operation when the distance of movement of the vehicle is not correctly detected or when the detection means becomes defective.